Decorative building material and method of making the same



3 V E. c. LOETSCHER 2,066,734

DEQCRA'I'IVE BUILDING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF' MAKING THE SAME Filed June 22, 1934 EM/L C A OE nscHE/e.

' IN VEN T OR ATTORNEY UNETED STATES r trier TEN? nnoons'rrvs BUILDING MATERIAL AND METHOD or MAKING THE SAME 7 Claims.

The object of this invention is to produce a hard, relatively water-proof, dense building material having a high degree of decoration.

The product may be described as a flat panel,

" board or molding with a homogeneous core and two relatively thin surface layers, one or both of which may be deco-rated.

With the above and other objects, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, in

which Fig. l is a plan View of a fragment of one form of product,

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a fragment of another form of product,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical sectional view through Fig. 1 but equally illustrative of a section through Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a separate ornamental chip or flake,

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on line 5-5 thereof,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another separate ornametal chip or flake,

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line l-'l thereof,

Fig. 8 is a plan view of still another separate ornamental chip or flake, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 thereof.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral l designates a core which is composed of the following ingredients:

(I) 50% of finely divided wood fibres, or woody particles such as may be obtained by reducing 5 wood chips, or waste from,wood-milling operations, to a size that will pass a 16 to 20 mesh screen. Reduction is effected preferably in a hammer mill, since the action of the latter results in the production of elongated particles which interlock, and mat or felt in subsequent treatment. In lieu of wood fibres, similarly produced fibres or particles from corn stalks, bagasse, grasses and the like may be used. These are so-called non-resinous materials, since the natural resin and fatty acid content thereof is relatively low, approaching between 2 to 5% of the Whole;

(II) 34% of highly resinous or pitchy cellulosic material, such as stump-wood, or materials obtained from coniferous trees, reduced in the same manner and to the same size as the firstmentioned ingredient. It has been determined that, of the whole of the highly resinous or pitchy material, from 25% to 30% thereof consists of resin 55 and fatty acid;

(III) 10% of sulphur, preferably in the form of milk or flowers of sulphur. This acts as a plasticizer and helps in water-proofing the core;

(IV) 5% of phenol-formaldehyde-carbohydrate water-soluble synthetic resin, such as is disclosed- 5 in my application for Letters Patent Serial No. 515,144. The cheapest form of binder is the natural resins in the woody material itself, and while it serves with the synthetic resin and sulphur in completely filling the voids, it fails to impart the 10 desired strength and waterproofness to the core, but by the use of a certain percentage of the synthetic resin, (not over being required, and in most cases only 5% being necessary,) a very strong, waterproof core can be produced. 15 ,When such materials as basswood or maple or fibres of low natural resin content are used in or for the first mentioned core ingredient, the second mentioned core ingredient must contain a higher natural resin content, and/or a higher 20 percentage of synthetic resin and sulphur will be necessary. The particular synthetic resin used is cheaper than alcohol soluble synthetic resin, and reduces the cost of manufacture, and within the percentages stated, produces a core that may be nailed, sawed and worked with ordinary carpenters tools;

(V) 1% of hydrated lime is incorporated for the purpose of hardening the natural resins which issue from the woody particles, so that the resins will not flow out at the edges of the core during the subsequent hot pressing operation, nor break through and spoil the surface finish as well as making the pressure plates sticky and because thereof requiring cleaning after each pressing operation.

In proceeding to mix the ingredients together, the first and second ingredients are thoroughly dried, and then sprayed with a dilute solution of the fourth ingredient, namely, the Water soluble synthetic resin, after which the treated particles are again dried at a relatively low temperature of approximately 150 to 180 F. The lower the temperature and the stronger the current of warm air, the less chance for the very reactive synthetic resin used to be reacted to a point that it will lose some of its binding qualities. The lime and sulphur are now added and the entire mixture thoroughly agitated in a tumbling mill until the particles are all thoroughly mixed.

The surface layers 2 and 3, when both sides or faces of the board or product are to have similar ornamental finishes are prepared of the following ingredients: 15% of finely divided so called non-resinous or slightly resinous woody 55 particles, such as pine-wood flour passing a 60 to 80 mesh screen, 15% phenol formaldehyde synthetic resin of the Bakelite type, sulphur and 60% of ornamental particles such as small flaky chips of wood, preferably made from bakelized mahogany, Walnut or other wood, paper thin, preferably of a thickness of the order of 1/100 inch. Flaky chips of such woods as basswood, maple or any other practically non-resinous woods which will absorb either water soluble or oil soluble dyes may be used, and as a further variation of material, wool fibres, silk fibres, cornstalk fibres, pieces of grass, cloth, paper, hulls and numerous other materials may be used alone or in combination in their natural color or artificially colored.

The various ornamental chips or particles used are treated with synthetic resin, Bakelite being preferred, and it is preferable to carry out the treatment while the materials are in veneer or sheet form by covering the veneers or sheets with a Bakelite varnish diluted with alcohol, and this Bakelite" is not included in the previously mentioned. After drying, the veneers or sheets are broken up to desired size in any suitable manner as, for example, in a small hammer mill, since this method preserves most of the Bakelite on the chips or particles. When this method is not practical, the particles may be otherwise Bakelized.

In some instances, it is desirable to dye the 15% wood flour which forms a background or ground color for the chips, with a shade that will harmonize properly with the chips or color scheme. The percentage of ornamental chips or flakes may be varied from 10% to 60% of the surface layer ingredient to vary the ornamental effect, the wood flour content. being varied in the same proportion, with or without compensating variation of the Bakelite and sulphur content.

The wood-flour, sulphur and flakes are now thoroughly mixed in a tumbling mill so as to distribute the chips and particles as thoroughly as possible throughout the mix, during which tumbling, the 15% of diluted Bakelite is sprayed upon these other ingredients. After thorough mixing, the treated mixture is dried in suitable manner.

To make a panel or fiat product, a polished pressure plate, preferably of Allegheny metal, is placed on a table and a rectangular frame is placed thereon, the frame having a depth of approximately 2", in making a product of A final thickness. A layer of the loose surface material is now deposited, by a screening process to a uniform thickness over the entire surface of the plate within the boundaries of the frame. For a product of the thickness mentioned, the layer will initially be from V to A" in thickness, but may be varied depending upon the final surface thickness desired. The screening is through a screen coarse enough not to obstruct any of the ornamental flakes, for instance 4" mesh. This allows the chips or flakes and wood flour to fall through the screen in practically the same relation as they occupy when in the unscreened mixture. The flakes naturally arrange themselves fiatwise upon the polished pressure plate in greater proportion than edgewise.

A single, or several layers of the core mixture, is next applied upon the first surface layer, and of a thickness to give the core the proper thickness.

Then finally, a top layer of the surface mixture is deposited thereon in the same manner as the first surface layer. By using a strike-off bar, the

Wood flakes are brought to the surface and arrange themselves flatwise or parallel to the surface to a greater extent than is the case in the regular mixture.

The plate, together with the filled frame, are subjected to a preliminary hydraulic pressure without heat, or with a low degree of heat equivalent to 10 to pounds of steam pressure, for a mere instant of to 1 minute, to give the mat a preliminary form permitting easy handling. Cold pressing is preferable where there is any tendency of the natural resins to break through and make the resin in the surface tacky, and when heat is used, it must in all cases be insufficient to cure or greatly aifect the surface resin in the core.

The frame is now removed from the plate, the mat having sufficient strength to permit the same to be handled. The mat is then covered with another plate of Allegheny metal, the polished surfaces of this plate as well as the first mentioned plate being next to the mat. The whole assembly, 1. e. plates and mat, is left in the same press if the same is properly equipped for final reaction of the resins, otherwise the assembly is transferred to another hydraulic press.

Hydrostatic pressure approximating 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per square inch, and heat determined by steam pressure is held at from 80 to 100 pounds. For a panel of about final -thickness, heat and pressure are applied for about 7 to 10 minutes, this being varied for panels of other thicknesses. In any event, sufficient time is allowed to thoroughly cure the bakelite in the surface layer. The core material will cure and harden, because of its characteristics, in a shorter time than the surface material. ing water is now circulated through the press platens, and after the product has sufficiently cooled, it may be easily handled and removed from the press.

The product will now be found to consist of a hard, dense core with two relatively thin surface layers somewhat harder, because of the greater percentage of synthetic resin therein, than the core, and having a more or less highly polished surface of a variegated color produced by the ornamental chips, flakes or strands-of the same or different colored woods, cloth, paper, wool or silk fibres, straw, grasses and the like, giving a very pleasing color and ornamental effect due to the natural arrangement of the chips, flakes or strands during the sifting process. By varying the proportions ofcolored chips,

flakes or strands, and/or the proportions of kinds.

of materials forming the latter, a vast assortment of ornamental efiects, in various shades, may be obtained.

In certain cases, it is not necessary or desirable to have but one decorative layer upon the core, and in dispensing with the layer 3, it becomes desirable to prevent Warpage tendencies by increasing the amount of synthetic resin in the back side of the panel or to otherwise balance both surfaces quite accurately with the same amount of surface material and approximately the same amount of synthetic resin in each surface. Certain panels may be bound to prevent warping.

By varying the percentage of ornamental chips or flakes, their kind and color, andalso varying the color of the wood flour, used in the surface layer or layers, many very pleasing decorative effects are obtainable.

The wood flour used in the filler 5 may be in the natural color of the wood from which it is prepared or may be dyed. In the product of Fig. 1, the wood flouris of alight brownish color'to givea pleasing contrast. g

In the product of Fig. 2, the chips used are of basswood, dyed in different brilliant colors, and

used in smaller percentage, the percentage of- Wood flour in the filler 5 being increased accordingly, if desired,'as well as the sulphur and synthetic resin, and the wood flour being in natural white pine color.

Flakes or chips of other material may be also mixed in with the chips of these products to still further vary the ornamental effect, or they may be substituted for the chips mentioned, the treatment being the same, t hough the effect being different according to the kind and color of flakes substituted.

As previously stated, the chips or flakes are separately impregnated with synthetic resin,.

preferably one of the Bakelite type. This causes a transparent varnish like film to form upon each chip, which brings out the beautiful characteristics'of the grain of the wood and of the texture of other materials used, giving the flakes a silky appearance and assuring a synthetic resin coating over the entire surface of each surface chip where it directly contacts with the platen or pressure plate while receiving final pressing with resin reacting heat.

Certain chips will lay entirely exposed at the surface of the product, While other chips will have portions embedded within the filler, or will be entirely embedded within the filler. In Figs. 4 and 5 the chip or flake 4a., separately illustrated, is embedded at one end, and in Figs. 61 and 7 one longitudinal edge of the chip 4b or flake is embedded, while in Figs. 8 and 9- the entire chip or flake 6c is beneath the surface. In the latter case, the presence of the embedded chip and even its color but not its texture are detectable through the filler, and the same is true of the embedded portions of the partially embedded chips 4a and 4b. As the chips or flakes become more and more fully exposed, the filler 5 thins out and gradually becomes non-detectable upon the surfaces of the chips, thereby giving a pleasing vignetting effect. It will be obvious that this method is one adapted for producing ornamental bodies of kaleidoscopic surface designs, since, in the formation of successive ornamental bodies, such bodies, while having ornamental surface designs of similar straight line type, will vary each from the other to different degrees according to varying arrangements of the ornamental particles thereof, so that walls or other surfaces formed by boards or panels made in accordance with my method, instead of embodying panels exactly alike in character, will embody panels varying in appearance from each other, while maintaining the same general character of design throughout the wall, thus enabling a wall of highly ornamental and pleasing.

effect to be produced.

Where expense is not a factor, an entire board or panel may be made of the surface layer material, but since expense is a great factor in artificial building material this is seldom practical except for veneering purposes.

Unlike filaments, flakes are capable of flatten ing under the platen or pressure plate, as well as twisting and doubling upon themselves, and because of this tendency to flatten out will display their texture characteristics with the greatest effect. I

What I claim is:

l. Themethod of making an ornamental product having'a variegated, lustrous vignetted surface appearance, which consists in coating thin flakes'of Wood or other fibrous particles of material having ornamental grain or texture characteristics with a synthetic resin to enhance their ornamental appearance and to impart lustre thereto, drying the coated particles, mixing the same with a finely divided filler and a second quantity of synthetic resin, spreading the mixture in a'dry state upon a supporting surface and working the same so as to dispose a substantial number of the ornamental particles parallel with the surface of the mixture and in an order to form an ornamental straight line pattern, and subjecting the mixture to platen pressure and heat sufficient to compress the mixture to a desired density and to react the resin.

2. The method of making an ornamental product having a variegated, lustrous vignetted surface appearance, which consists in coating thin flakes of wood or other particles of fibrous material of larger than intended size with a synthetic resin to increase the grain or other texture characteristics thereof and to impart a lustrous finish thereto, drying the particles of material,

breaking "the same into smaller particles large enough to display their grain or other surface texture characteristics, mixing the same with a finely divided filler and a second quantity of synthetic resin, spreading the mixture in a dry state upon a supporting surface and working the mixture so as to dispose a substantial number of the ornamental particles parallel with the surface of the mixture and in an order to form an ornamental straight line pattern, and subjecting the mixture to platen pressure and heat sufficient to compress the mixture toa desired density and to react the resin.

3. The method of making an ornamental product having a variegated, lustrous, vignetted surface appearance, which consists in coating thin flakes of wood or other particles of fibrous material having varying ornamental grain or other texture characteristics with a synthetic resin to enhance their grain or other texture characteristics and to impart a lustrous finish thereto, drying the particles of material, mixing the same with a filling and binding composition consisting of wood flour, a plasticizing agent and a second quantity of synthetic resin, spreading the mixture in a dry state upon a supporting surface and working the mixture so as to bring the particles of fibrous material to the surface in such number and order as to form an ornamental straight line pattern, and subjecting the mixture to platen pressure and heat sufficient to compress the mixture to a desired density and to react'the resin.

, 4. The method of making an ornamental product having a variegated, lustrous, vignetted surface appearance, which consists in coating thin flakes of wood or other particles of fibrous material having ornamental grain or other texture characteristics with a synthetic resin to enhance p ead n he tur in: a dry s ate a supporting surface through a screen of mesh size such as not to materially disturb the uniformity of the mixture while causing a substantial number of the ornamental particles to be brought to lie flatwise in number and orderto produce an ornamental pattern at the surface of the mixture, and then subjecting the mixture to platen pressure and heat sufiicient to compress it to a desired density and to react the resin.

5. An ornamental bodyoontaining thin flakfy particles of material having ornamental grain or texture characteristics and arranged in such number and order at the surface of the body as to cooperatively produce an ornamental pat-r tern design, each particle being provided with a varnish-like coating of a transparent character enhancing its ornamental texture and giving it a lustrous finish, pulverized material cantrasting in color with at least some of the particles and filling the voids between said particles and spreading over upon at least some of the particles or portions of particles to render the same translucent and thereby produce in the design by contrast with the lustrous uncovered portions a vignetted effect in the design pattern, and synthetic resin binding the particles and filling material together and providing a trans.- parent surface film thereover through which the vignetted design shows.

6. An ornamental body embodying a surface arrangement of thin elongated flaky particles having ornamental grain or texture characteristics and being of a size to display an appreciable amount of such characteristics, each particle being provided with a transparent lustrous coating enhancing the ornamental characteristics thereof, a pulverized filler of contrasting color, and synthetic resin binding the coated flaky particles and filler into a dense body and forming a transparent surface film thereover, a majority of the. flaky particles being exposed to view through the film at the surface of the body and lying flatwise and in parallelism with the surface film, and certain flaky particles being embedded beneath the surface of the body and their presence but not their texture being partly obscured by but detectable through the filler.

7. An ornamental body embodying a surface arrangement of flakes having ornamental surface characteristics and forming an ornamental pattern design, pulverized filling material contrasting in color with at least some of the flakes filling voids between the flakes, and synthetic resin binding the flakes and filling material together and forming a transparent surface film thereover, a substantial proportion of the flakes being freely exposed to View at the surface of the bodythrough the transparent surface film, and certain of the flakes being partially obscured by the filling to give a vignetted effect to the pattern design.

EMIL C. LOETSCHER. 

